Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-06-05

she goes through the same perform
ance-as usual, TO the enjoyment OF the
crowd. But, nevertheless, it's quite
the rage, youknow. Everybody triesi it.
PROPHECIES ABOUT PLAYS.
Sometimes / doubt il any man can
Judge of the success OF play by read
ing it, Jim the Penman," which is
one of the most pronounced hits OF the
English-speaking stage, was hawked
about London for years before any
manager could be induced TO produce
it. IT had every chance, too, for its
author Sir Charles Young, was well
known 10 all of the English stage peo-
pie. and was on good terms OF personal
friendship with the more prominent
and influential London managers. De-
spite all the influence that he could
bring TO bear on them they refused to
bring out this play until he was enabled
TO secure manager against loss. Then
the drama was produced. and it is still
running to the biggest houses in Lon-
don.
The play was given to Mr.. A. M.
Palmer, manager of the Madison-Square
Theatre, to read before its London
production. Mr.. Palmer is one of the
shrewdest and most cultivated of Ameri-
can managers. He takes risks, too.
but he was afraid to do "Jim the Pen
man." and it was shelved. Then ii
made its big London hit and Mr..
Palmer brought it ont here. 1t will
probably outrun the records of the
1.-Two Orphans " and "Hazel Kirke. >"
"THE HIGHEST BIDDER"
began its career at the Lyceum heavily
handicapped. The play, as was well
understood, was written for the elder
Sothern by Madison Morton and Ro-
bert Reece. SOthern never had much
confidence in it. Winter. of the Tri-
JVne. who had read it, predicted fail
ure for its present production. George
Clarke, the actor, who was also con-
versant with the play, was also sure of
its coming disaster. William j. Flo
renee at one time contemplated it, so
did the late John T. Raymond /;
both saw nothing in it and aban-
doned it. At the rehearsals at
the Lyceum Theatre everything un-
toward happened that aroused the SUI
perstition of the actors against its sue
cess. Then kind friends found there
were thirteen letters in the maine of the
title, the young star, the theatre, and
that of its manager, Mr. Daniel Froh-
man. This was followed by several let
tiers predicting failure. | have seen a
number of them. Here is one. 1t
shows how people who have nothing
TO do sometimes enjoy themselves by
trying to make others unhappy.
"NEw YORK, May 2, 1887.
"Mr. Daniel krohman: The comedy
which you are to produce at the Ly-
ceum tomorrow nigbt-namely. 1.-The
Highest Bidder will be failure.
"The only thing that will save it will
be if either Mr.. Sothern or Mr.. lie
Moyne make hitin his respective part.
"Alr. Archer will not be a success III
his part. as he is fitted more for a melo-
drama than anything else.
Yours truly, CORNELL"
Despite all this the play even during
the hot weather is the greatest success
ever known at the Lyceum Theatre and
il speaks well for Mr.. Frohman's inau-
euratiOn.
STORY on FRANK MAYO.
OF Frank Mayo, the well-known
actor. q good story is now going the
rounds of Newspaper Row. In his ex-
treme youth, say callow seventeen, he
was seized with the stage disease. A
tall, loose. jointed country boy, who
bad scarcely ever stepped foot into a
play house, he found 1t hard task to
enter Thespian ranks but after a world
of trouble succeeded in having himself
enrolled among the "supers" of a San
Francisco theatre. Junius Brutus
Booth, that fiery genius, was holding
the boards in some classic drama,
and Mayo was one of the noble Ro-
man mob who rush in and out of
the stage to quick music and
the stage managers oath. On the
eventful evening of his first appearance
Mayo's fellow "supes" determined to
make a sensation, and did. They dress
ed the luckless youth in manner never
before seen in the history of the drama.
The right side of his body was classic
Latin in decoration and dress, helmet,
leather curass and belt, bare leg and
foot, and corded sandal; the left side
PaWnee warrior, ochre- daubed checked,
eagles feather, dirty buckskin blouse,
trouser, and moccasin, scalping-knife,
tomahawk, and hanging scalps by the
side. He was kept III the background
by the wags until the cue came, and
then obedient to the instructions he
had received rushed with a wild
war-whoop at the head of the fifty
supe1numeraries down toward the foot
lights There was an ominous pause.
Booth and play were forgotten and
then came a hurricane of laughter,
cheers, and yells. Booth, not seeing
the cause of the singular outbreak, was
at first mystitied. lie turned and saw
Mayo 1t took less than a minute for
the Infatuated star to kick, actually
kick, the hapless aspirant from the
stage through the door into the street.
BE retmned to find that the damage
had all been done. The remainder Of
the evening saw dreary performance
Wherever the mob appeared or
was even heard behind the scenes
the parquet Uttered and the gal
leIy howled. The curtain rung down
fifteen minutes earlier, there was no re-
cali, and Booth went to his hotel swear
ing vengeance upon the villain or vii
lains who had concocted what seemed
to him hideous plot to undermine his
reputation. Poor Mayo in the street
Was Leert broken. At one blow, or
kick, his dramatic ambitions had been
ruthlessly shattered forever. And this,
added TO the ignominy of his exit, 50
wrought upon him that for an hour he
cried in the dark alleyway like school
girl for her first fault. When the
theatre was out he sneaked into the
dressing-room to change his clothes.
He was there confronted by the man
ager. In a voice broken by rage and
laughter the latter said
look here, young fellow
There's your half dollar. Booth says
he won't play if he sees you around
any more. SO get But it wasn't
your fault altogether. You're a good
fellow and here's note to the manager
ON the next square. lie will give you
a better Job than here"